Designing a nervous system for cities

Anupam Saraph

Attribution-ShareAlike CC BY-SA

The cellular information system ensures changes that result in normal development

The first system to develop is the nervous system

The nervous system detects changes in the internal and external environment and triggers mechanisms to respond

The sympathetic nervous system ensures life by maintaining homeostasis

Emergent behavior from cellular, tissue, organ and organism’s information systems together ensure life by maintaining homeostasis

organismorganism

organsorgans

tissuestissues

cellscells

Cities grow without a cellular information system and lack a developed nervous system

Cities are not able to have a coordinated response to changes to their internal and external environment sometimes they cannot even detect changes

Behavior of cities without a designed nervous systemfragmented: multiple independent interaction points; no unity of direction; no shared practicesschizophrenic: different response at different times; no integral principle or purpose; no clarity of purposenon-collaborative: attention deficient, indifferent, exclusive

Experiences in cities without a designed nervous systeminformation disarray: inability to identify citizens or business; inability to track missions and projects; self destruction through environmental decay and unsustainable practiceslack of trust: failure to trust citizens and businesses; failure to be trusted by citizens and businesseslong delays: projects off schedule and cost; planning out of phase with realityinability to commit:government and ngos can give little guarantee on outcomes, performances and results

City with good-governance has information systems that are:integrated, simplified, mission focused, open, inclusive, persistentIT plays the key role in designing the nervous system and managing a cityIndividual, social, economic and administrative information systems together bring life to cities

Hyderabad, Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Pune 2011- 2021?

city admincity admin

social and economic communities

social and economic communities

familiesfamilies

residents

residents

Design issuesbuilding trust in ability to deliver results: meaningful consistent responses; citizens and businesses trust and trusted; few functions with clarity; mission focused servicesdomains of governance (the areas where decisions must be made):energy, mobility, water, security, governance itselfstyles of governance: feudal, monarchist, federalist, anarchist, participative, collaborativemechanisms of governance: committee, teams, managers, councils, groups, communities, charters, budgetslayers of governance: local, state, federal departments, functions, programs, schemes, windowssuccess of governance: indicators, measurement, benchmarks, trust, scenarios, integrated, simplified, mission focused, open, inclusive, persistent

Steps to building a nervous systemdevelop a vision for:individual, community and administrative information systemsdetail a roadmap from 2011 to 2020 for:integrated, simplified, mission focused, open, inclusive, persistent IScatalyze roll out of the roadmap:organize vehicles that will result in a self organizing nervous system

The nervous system shapes the character of the city and decides its happiness index

Anupam Saraph works with today's most imaginative, entrepreneurial leaders to mentor organizations in leadership, innovation and strategy in order to accomplish missions and achieve business goals. Together they pioneer breakthrough practices to address complex problems, design innovative strategies and create enduring value.

http://anupam.saraph.inanupam.saraph ‘at’ saraph.in

A ward-wise information system becomes a simple nervous system for a city

A shared information system further develops the nervous system for a city

The nervous system can detect the the spread of epidemics

The nervous system can respond to movement of people and materials

The nervous system can respond to issues, service requests and disasters

The nervous system can respond to resource needs and infrastructure development

The nervous system can respond to health needs of the city or the region